NEWS
ENTEK closes acquisition of NSG separator division International battery separator firm ENTEK closed its acquisition of Nippon Sheet Glass’ lead acid battery separator division on September 1. The acquisition means ENTEK will add AGM separators to its portfolio, which so far consists of PE separators and lithium battery separators. It becomes the first firm to manufacture separators in all three primary battery technologies. The new company will own all of NSG’s battery separator facilities in Japan and China for both OE separators and AGM separators, the firm said. The acquisition was announced on May 10. Clint Beutelschies, vice president for global sales & marketing, told Batteries International in May that the firm’s majority stake in the battery separator division of the Japanese firm, which predominantly makes glass for automobiles, will push ENTEK into a leading position in Asia, a region where until now it has had a relatively small footprint. “Among the three major regions of the world, Asia has by far the highest growth rate, and it’s important for us to take our industry leadership and have our local presence in that region,” he said. “In the Americas we are the largest producer of separators for the lead-acid battery separator industry, far ahead of our nearest competitor. In Europe we are the leaders for auto separators as well.” ENTEK began to take more of a presence in Asia with the acquisition of a plant in Indonesia in late 2017, but this was just the start. The company made plans to double the plant’s capacity with another pro-
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duction line, and although the pandemic delayed things, the ultimate goal remains the same. “In Asia we were a relatively small player, with just the investment in our Indonesian plant in 2017,” Beutelschies said. “Before that we didn’t have a manufacturing plant in Asia, so we had some catch-up to do. NSG was our joint venture partner
in the Indonesian plant, so we know them quite well. Their battery separator division is a great fit for ENTEK, and to their credit, from the CEO Shigeki Mori, right on down, they recognized we would be a great partner — so now we’re off to the races.” A full statement by the firm said: “With this strategic acquisition, ENTEK becomes the only separator
manufacturer in the world producing all three primary separator technologies (PE, AGM, and lithium separators) for the global energy storage industry. “Considering ENTEK’s established business foundation and mutual trust, NSG Group has decided that the best option for the BSS business as well as for the customers and the stakeholders is for BSS to be integrated with and managed by ENTEK so that it can develop further and enhance its value for customers.”
“Their battery separator division is a great fit for ENTEK, and to their credit, from the CEO Shigeki Mori, right on down, they recognized we would be a great partner — so now we’re off to the races” — Clint Beutelschies, ENTEK
ENTEK forms innovational relationship with nascent UK Britishvolt gigafacory Britishvolt, the company building the UK’s first lithium-ion battery gigafactory, on June 14 signed a MoU with ENTEK that means separators will eventually be domestically produced in the UK and supplied straight to the production line. Britishvolt held a groundbreaking ceremony on the opening of its plant £2.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in early August. Two other huge lithium battery factories in the UK — see European gigafactories feature in this magazine — may be active shortly. The MoU will look at how ENTEK’s separators can be used in Britishvolt’s batteries and following that, a potential investment in a facility to produce the ceramic coated separator materials. ENTEK already has a plant in Newcastle-uponTyne, in the north of England, and the plans
ENTEK’s Graeme Fraser-Bell breaking ground on the ground-breaking plant at Blyth on July 27
are for another one next to Britishvolt’s gigafactory in Blyth also near to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. “We are delighted to have been selected as Britishvolt’s preferred lithium-ion battery separator partner and eager to align our objectives and investments with their transformational plans to build a 30GWh+ factory in the UK,” said Larry Keith, ENTEK CEO. “Co-location at Britishvolt’s site will allow
access to an abundance of renewable energy, essential for power intensive manufacturing processes,” said Britishvolt. “It will also reduce the length of the supply chain and along with it the carbon footprint of battery production.” Supply of lithium is also a concern, although two firms — British Lithium and Cornish Lithium — are exploring known deposits of the element in the UK.
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